When a dark-hued, raspy-voiced young music director by the name of Jassie Gift tuned Malayalee folk to his compositions for the first time, he seemed like a canny brewer serving an exotic ale.
Some hated it but the youth were simply intoxicated by his songs — one of his admirers is actor Mammootty’s daughter Surumi who insisted the song ‘Lajjavathiye’ (a chartbuster from ‘4 The People’) be played at her wedding reception. Jassie’s success was a revelation and the most surprised were his college-mates, who could ever discern the gift of music in a student of philosophy.
“In college, I was more like a spectator and supporter of others rather than a performer,” says the 36-year-old. “College (University College, Thiruvananthapuram) was like a home to us. We used to be there by 7am and stay late into night while rehearsing for the various youth fests."
Jassie was the first student to conduct a rock show at the varsity. This was during his MPhil in 2001 when he completely shattered the concept of a rock star by entering the stage wearing bleached jeans, white cotton shirt and a brand new pair of Paragon slippers. Costumes apart, the show was bang on target. “It gave me the confidence that I could move an audience with my music. I was very tense initially. Though I had sung in groups, it was my first solo performance,” he says.
Jassie and his friends were absolute misers in college. “We never paid for our dinner. We knew that was the worst thing you could ever do to a hotel owner. But we were too young to muse over such things. It was fun and they never knew who we were as we would vanish into the dark in no time,” recounts Jassie. “We just didn’t like spending money. The only option was to squeeze the most of someone who was relatively rich.”
This philosophy student “was always in the college but never in class”. He admits to having been quite a romantic in college but, of course, he had to watch his back as his seniors would never allow Jassie to flirt with the eves. Jassie is presently currently doing his PhD on ‘The philosophy of harmony and bliss with reference to Advaita and Buddhism’ at Kannur University.
He is also composing music for Mollywood films ‘Achante Aanmakkal’ and ‘Seniors’ and in Kollywood, ‘Rakthaksha’, ‘Chinnodu’, ‘Pallikondapuram’ and ‘Thiruvasakam’.